Top 23 Best Transcription Jobs For Getting Paid To Listen And Type

Samuel Popejoy

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This article has been reviewed and deemed factual by our content auditor with 8 years of banking experience.

Article Approved By Banking Expert

This article has been reviewed and deemed factual by our content auditor with 8 years of banking experience.

If you’re good at listening and you’re a fast typer, you can earn money onlinewith the best transcription jobs.

There are tons of transcription companies out there that pay remote transcriptionists who work at home, and the good news is: your ability to make money fast depends entirely on your typing speed and work ethic. That’s it.

Learn more about the best sources for transcription work online and how to get paid for your transcription services with these 23 best transcription jobs.

Best Transcription Jobs: Overview

The pay rate offered to remote transcribers varies between platforms. Most platforms pay per audio hour or audio minute. However, some platforms might pay you per word you transcribe.

Clients are willing to pay top dollar to native English speakers who can provide medical transcription, legal transcription, and other transcription services. These services serve as alternatives to AI transcription software, which isn’t as accurate as the transcriptions offered by U.S. residents with total language control.

You don’t need to have any transcription experience to get started. Many platforms offer entry-level, part-time positions that any transcriber can tackle. As you progress as a transcription freelancer, however, you might get offered full-time positions with better pay.

You’d be surprised who hires transcribers. As you progress in your career, you might get high-quality gigs from law enforcement organizations, the entertainment industry, or any number of other clients. To get started, simply get going on the application process for any of the following platforms.

Speakwrite doesn’t offer jobs for beginners; you’ll need to pass a skills test to qualify for this platform’s online transcription jobs. Once you’re approved, however, you’ll make between $0.05-$0.06 per word transcribed. These rates make Speakwrite a source for some of the best transcription jobs online.

To get started with Speakwrite, you’ll need to prove that you have at least one year of transcription experience, and you’ll also need to pass a background check. From there, simply set your own schedule and start transcribingconference calls, law enforcement audio, general transcription, or any other type of job that shows up in your hopper.

Like most online transcription platforms, you’ll provide your work to Speakwrite as an independent contractor, and you’ll receive payments in your PayPal account. If you keep at it, you’ll earn at least $500 per month on Speakwrite, and top earners make more than $3,000 per month.

TranscribeMe doesn’t require any transcription experience, but you will have to pass a transcription test to get started. This platform pays by the audio minute, which means that speedy turnaround times will pay off in a big way on TranscribeMe.

It’s free to join TranscribeMe, and if you prove that you can type quickly, this platform will reward you with as much as $2,500 per month on this platform. TranscribeMe pays out weekly, and this site offers tons of different industries and job types to choose from. If you’re looking for the best transcription jobs online that offer high pay, TranscribeMe is a good place to start.

Scribie doesn’t pay as much as some of the other platforms out there, but it offers access to short, easy audio files that you can transcribe in 20 minutes or less. Most transcriptionists on this platform make less than $10 per audio hour, but if you work hard enough and move up the ranks, you could make $25 per hour or more.

While Scribie requires you to complete a brief transcription test to get started, you don’t need to have any transcribing experience to qualify for this platform. Instead of waiting for weekly or monthly payouts, you can withdraw your earnings from your Scribie account at any time.

NOTE: While Scribie doesn’t pay much up front, bonuses are available. For instance, this platform offers an extra $5 per every three hours of transcribed material.

Tigerfish is one of the oldest players in the transcription industry, and this platform’s website shows its age. Once you make your way around this antiquated site structure, however, you’ll find that Tigerfish offers tons of transcribing opportunities.

You’ll need access to the free version of Express Scribe to get started with Tigerfish, and you’ll also need to pass a 15-minute transcription test. Tigerfish doesn’t disclose its pay rates up front. You’ll only know how much this platform pays after you pass the test and get started as a Tigerfishtranscriptionist.

Unlike some of the other platforms in this list, Tigerfish requires that you adhere to a strict style guide. If you derivate from this style guide, you’ll lose your account privileges. Additionally, Tigerfish requires its transcriptionists to have foot pedals, which is an added requirement that most platforms don’t impose.

Quicktate limits its services to audio files with durations of five minutes or less. Therefore, you’re guaranteed access to lots of low-effort work if this platform approves your application.

To be honest, Quicktate isn’t all that rewarding. You’ll need to pass a series of tests to be approved for this platform, and you’ll also need to provide three professional references. Once you’re in, the most you’ll get paid is $0.005 per word. That’s right, I didn’t accidentally add a decimal place; you’ll get half a cent per word on Quicktate. If you still feel like working for this platform is worth it, it’s free to apply.

GoTranscript has very limited requirements for its transcriptionists. To get started, you’ll just need to transcribe a 10-minute audio recording in six hours or less.

Once this platform approves your application, you’ll gain access to various pay grades ranging up to $0.60 per audio minute. However, most GoTranscript jobs pay significantly less than this maximum rate. This platform doesn’t have a required typing speed, and its most successful transcriptionists make around $1,300 per month.

AccuTran Global was founded in 2002, and it doesn’t look like this platform’s website has received an update since. This transcription work provider only hires on a periodic basis, and its entry-levelpay rate is $0.005 per word. As you gain experience, your pay rate increases.

This platform pays out on the 15th of every month. While AccuTran Global suffers from multiple dry spells per year, at peak demand, you’ll be able to sink up to three hours of work into this platform per day. However, AccuTran’s strict turnaround requirements might not be very attractive to some transcriptionists.

GMR Transcription mainly offers medical transcription jobs. Periodically, however, it offers other types of general transcription gigs. You don’t need any experience to get started with this platform, and there’s always plenty of work available on GMR Transcription.

This consistency of work isn’t without its downsides. Instead of selecting your own jobs, GMR Transcription will assign you work on a regular basis. If you aren’t able to keep up, you’ll lose your access to this platform.

Verbal Ink is one of the most mysterious platforms on this list. This platform provides hardly any information on its requirements or pay rates; you’ll need to sign up to find out.

To get started with Verbal Ink, you’ll need to provide a formal resume complete with a cover letter. From there, you’ll need to pass a transcription test. While Verbal Ink doesn’t offer a lot of information on the requirements for this test, past applicants report that it’s one of the harder tests out there.

While this platform’s name might be outdated, its transcribers believe it offers some of the best transcription jobs on the web. 1-888-Type-It-Up only hires on a periodic basis, so it might be months before you’re invited to take this platform’s transcription test. Plus, 1-888-Type-It-Up charges $35 for its entry test, which is a rarity in the industry.

1-888-Type-It-Up pays twice per month, and it offers some of the best pay rates in the industry. As a 1-888-Type-It-Uptranscriptionist, you’ll get paid as much as $180 per audio hour. This platform pays more for audio files that are hard to hear or that require fast turnaround times.

On the one hand, you’ll be out $35 if you fail 1-888-Type-It-Up‘s entry test. On the other, this platform pays more than practically any other transcription service on this list.

SpeechPad is one of the higher-paying platforms out there. Once you clear the initial signup process, you’ll gain access to work paying between $15-150 per audio hour.

To qualify for SpeechPad, you’ll need to be able to write at a rate of at least 40 WPM. This platform also recommends that its transcriptionists invest in foot pedals, but this isn’t a strict requirement.

With SpeechPad, you can set your own hours, and as you gain qualifications, you’ll get access to higher-paying work. Every job you complete will be quality-rated, and if your job quality goes down, your pay rate will decrease.

BAMTranscription works almost exclusively with clients in the entertainment industry. This LA-based company has almost 20 years in the transcription business, and it doesn’t offer an online application form. Instead, you’ll need to reach out to this company’s talent management team at bam@bamtranscription.com to get started.

You’ll need to complete a basic skills test to get started with BAM Transcription. Beyond this simple requirement, there isn’t a lot of information available on BAM‘s requirements and pay rates.

No, working for CrowdSurf doesn’t involve being passed around by a sea of hands at a music festival. On the contrary, this platform requires its transcriptionists to transform the audio from video files into captions for the deaf.

CrowdSurf works through Work Market, which is a generalized online platform for freelancers. Once you make a Work Market account, you’ll be ready to apply to be part of the CrowdSurf team.

CrowdSurf makes payment via PayPal, and you won’t get paid much per job since each audio file lasts one minute or less. You don’t need to have any experience to get started with CrowdSurf, and there’s no minimum WPM requirement.

Even though Ubiqus requires its transcriptionists to have 1-5 years or experience, it only reportedly pays a maximum of $0.007 per word. However, this platform offers tons of different types of work to keep you busy.

Whether you prefer medical transcription, legal transcription, or even summary writing tasks, Ubiqus has lots of work available that will suit your tastes. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pass a transcription test showing you can type at a rate of at least 70 WPM to qualify for Ubiqus.

Birch Creek Communications offers legal and corporate transcription work. This platform doesn’t have any experience requirements, and you can complete jobs for Birch Creek at your own pace. Most jobs have 24-96-hour turnaround times, and they pay around $1 per page of transcribed audio.

The vast majority of Birch Creek Communications jobs appear during normal business hours. To get started, you’ll need to send Birch Creek a formal resume and disclose the speed of your internet connection.

Whether you prefer transcription or editing, 3Play Media has options for you. This platform mainly offers transcriptions of short videos, and you can earn up to $30 per job on 3Play depending on your skills.

To gain access to 3Play’s available jobs, you’ll need to demonstrate that you can transcribe at a rate of at least 75 WPM. You’ll also need to pass a significantly complex array of proficiency tests to get started.

Depending on your experience, you may or may not need to pass a proficiency test to get started with CastingWords. You’ll only get paid for your work after editors have approved it, but pay rates go as high as $1.20 per audio minute.

Some audio files are eligible for bonuses, and you can set your own schedule with CastingWords. Keep in mind that CastingWords offers some of its jobs through Amazon’s human intelligence task (HIT) platform, Mechanical Turk.

Oddly, Daily Transcription only offers payment by check. Once you overcome this minor hurdle, however, you’ll gain access to pay rates of up to $0.85 per audio minute. You’ll need to pass a skill test and transcription test to get started.

While you can technically set your own schedule on Daily Transcription, this platform does things a little differently. Instead of selecting open jobs from a board, you’ll need to sign up for time slots when you’ll be available. Then, Daily Transcription will provide you with work during those time slots. However, there’s no guarantee that work will be available during the time slots you signed up for.

GMR Transcription mainly offers medical transcription services. This platform pays based on your skills and the complexity of the audio files, and GMR Transcription offers a brief quiz to help you determine if you’re eligible.

While GMR Transcription offers consistent work, this platform expects you to be available regularly. If you don’t complete work that you’re assigned, GMR Transcription will revoke your access privileges.

Alorica’s main service is call center outsourcing. However, this platform also offers transcription services. Alorica offers a wide variety of different kinds of transcription projects, and pay rates vary per project.

Some of the jobs that Alorica offers are freelance, but this platform also offers full-time positions. If you decide to become a full-time Alorica employee, you’ll gain access to a variety of benefits like paid time off and medical insurance.

With Babbletype, you can sign up for jobs until 4 PM every day, and the jobs you take won’t be due until 4 PM the following day. You don’t have to commit to any scheduling constraints to work on this platform.

However, the application process for Babbletype is pretty severe. The entire process takes around three hours, but once you’re in, you’ll be paid up to $40 per audio hour. Babbletype shells out payment via PayPal every week.

eScribers only offers legal transcription services. To succeed on this platform, you’ll need to transcribe at a rate of at least 70 WPM. A legal background is also a big plus.

If you have past transcription experience, eScribers will give your application special treatment. However, this platform’s only strict requirement is native English fluency and access to a U.S. bank account for direct deposits.

Fiverr isn’t technically a transcription site, but plenty of people in need of transcription services turn to this platform for help. As a Fiverr freelancer, you’ll be able to set your own rates. However, you’ll also need to create your own profile and make your services attractive to customers.

While there’s huge potential for finding high-paying gigs on Fiverr, you’ll need put in a lot of work on this platform if you want to get paid. With so many other established transcriptionists already hawking their services on Fiverr, you’ll need to make yourself stand out. If you’re used to selling yourself on the open market, however, that won’t be a problem.

Best Transcription Jobs: The Bottom Line

By offering your transcription services online, you’ll be able to transcribe anywhere in the United States as long as you have a robust internet connection. If you want to go pro with transcription, you might want to invest in a headset and a foot pedal, but you can get away with basic voicemail transcription and captioninghome jobs with nothing more than a laptop with decent speakers.

While once-popular platforms like Appenscribe are long-gone, there are still plenty of options out there if you want to try your hand at transcription. With a few months of experience, you might even be able to flex your typing skills in more lucrative fields like content writing or technical writing. Just keep listening, and your mastery of the English language will grow with every word you transcribe.

Samuel is an accomplished blog author and copywriter. With wide-ranging knowledge that covers practically every subject, Samuel delivers useful and engaging content that helps people live better lives.